


Rendezvous

by PuzzleDragon



Category: Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (TV)
Genre: F/M, First Meetings, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-26 22:08:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7592140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuzzleDragon/pseuds/PuzzleDragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Will Scarlet breaks into the Tremaine manor, he expects to find fine jewelry, shining silverware, and other obscenely expensive but useless trinkets. Instead, he finds a girl with blonde hair and a fiery temper.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rendezvous

**Author's Note:**

> queentremaine on tumblr prompted: "And because I am forever disappointed that we didn’t get to see how Will and Ana actually first met, can you please write a fic about it?"

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asks the moment she sees him, “Put that back!”

He turns on his heel to see her standing there in the doorway of the bedroom he’s just broken into. The evening sunlight streaming in through the windows makes her golden blonde hair shimmer in such a way that he can’t help but think she looks gorgeous - ill-timed and angry, but gorgeous.

“I thought everyone was at the festival,” he says hurriedly, unable to think of anything better to say.

“And that makes it alright to steal from us?” she asks, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Yes?” he offers, trying for a winning smile that comes out more hesitant and awkward than charming, “Besides you’re rich. You won’t miss one little necklace.”

“I won’t,” she agrees, “To be honest, I’ve always hated that necklace, much too gaudy for my taste. But it’s my mother’s and she most certainly _will_ miss it. And I’d rather not get blamed for a petty thief’s actions.”

“Petty?” he asks with mock offense, “You wound me. I’d like to think I’m quite a bit more than that. In some circles I’m seen as rather important.”

“I don’t care if you’re bloody Robin Hood, you’re going to put that necklace – and anything else you’ve taken – back. _Right now._ ”

“Why should I listen to a rich, stuck up brat like you?” he replies, completely abandoning charm in favor of intimidation.

But this girl is not one to be so easily swayed. Without missing a beat she says, “Because if you don’t, I’ll scream. Someone’s bound to be passing by on the road. They’ll arrive and I'll have you arrested. And I don’t think you want that, now do you?”

“You wouldn’t.”

“You wanna risk it?”

They stare at each other for a moment, his brown eyes locking with her blue.

“Alright, fine,” he relents, placing the necklace back on the dresser covered in jewels.

“And everything else,” she instructs, watching him carefully as he unloads the burlap sack in his other hand. He places every bit of jewelry back in it’s proper place until there’s only one piece left in his hand.

“Can’t I at least keep this?” he asks hopefully, “After all, even a thief’s got to eat. You’ll hardly notice it’s gone.”

He holds up the necklace for her to see. Several faceted amethysts, fashioned into the shape of a flower, suspended on a simple silver chain.

“That’s mine, not my mother’s,” she says, confusion and indignation coloring her voice, “How’d that end up in here?”

“No idea,” he answers, “But I’ll take that as a ‘no’ on keeping it.”

She shakes her head, “It’s one of the few necklaces I own that I actually like.”

“Then of course,” he says, suddenly overcome by a strange sense of chivalry, “By all means, keep it.”

“Thank you,” she smiles, reaching out to take it from him, but before she can, he speaks again.

“It must have fallen off at some point, and your mum picked it up and forgot to give it back. Here,” he says, taking a step forward, “I’ll help you put it on again so you won’t lose it this time.”

“Alright,” she says hesitantly, standing still as he brushes her golden hair out of the way. She doesn’t turn around, though. As intriguing and perhaps even attractive as this man is, she doesn’t quite trust him yet.

“There,” he smiles as the clasp fastens behind her neck.

“Thank you,” she replies, touching the delicate gemstone blossom that now graces her throat. He’s standing impossibly close to her now, and for some odd reason she wants to lean forward and kiss him right then and there. But before she can indulge that foolish whim, she hears someone unlocking the heavy front door downstairs.

“Oh god, that’s either one of my sisters or my mother, either way, they will _not_ be happy to find you here,” she says, almost quicker than he can follow, before grabbing his free hand, “Come with me.”

She drags him down the hall as fast as possible, throws open the door to what turns out to be her room, pushes him inside, and closes the door behind her as silently as she can. She rushes over to the window and wrenches it open.

“You have to get out before they come up here looking for me,” she says, turning back to him, “The ivy grows all the way up to the window. It’s perfect for climbing down. I know; I’ve done it.”

“You were just threatening to have me arrested less than five minutes ago,” he states, confused by her sudden change of heart.

“And now I’m saving you from a lifetime in prison, so don’t complain,” she counters, pulling him toward the window, “Now you have to go.”

He’s already out the window, his hands still on the windowsill, when a completely irrational and equally appealing idea strikes him.

“Can I see you again?” he asks with a smile, looking up into her stunned face.

“You just tried to steal from my family,” she laughs – it makes her blue eyes sparkle, he notices – still keeping her voice low so as not to be overheard by whoever has just entered the house, “And I try not associate with criminals. Besides, I don’t even know your name.”

“Will,” he says quickly, smiling up at her, “Will Scarlet.”

“Anastasia Tremaine,” she replies.

In that moment, he honestly thinks it’s the most beautiful name he’s ever heard in his life.

“Tomorrow night during the festival,” she adds, catching him off guard.

“Is that a yes?”

“That’s a yes. Meet me there,” she smiles, “Now _go_ , before they catch you.”

Once he’s on the ground, he casts one look back at the manor. She’s still standing there in the window. The sunset makes her face practically glow. She’s unimaginable beautiful in that moment – in every moment of the short time he’s known here, if he’s honest – and he can’t help but smile back.

“Go!” she mouths urgently.

He bows to her, the way he believes a lady like herself deserves. When he looks up, she’s shaking her head at him but still smiling brightly as she closes the window. He runs off into the forest then, doesn’t look back, tries not to get caught by any guards that might be lurking. But as he’s sprinting through the trees, he whispers her name – just once – to himself.

“ _Anastasia_ ,” he murmurs. He likes the way it sounds, the way it feels on his tongue. He likes her intense blue eyes, and her flowing blonde hair, and her musical name. He likes her. He’s nothing but a but a simple thief and he’s falling in love with a highborn lady.

 _Bloody hell,_ he thinks as the sun sets and the Tremaine manor recedes into the distance, _I’m definitely in trouble._


End file.
